The Day the Earth Stood Still
by Ms.Wolfwood
Summary: Gohan's world is falling apart. Can he save the one who means the most to him?
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own any Dragonball Z.

The Day the Earth Stood Still 

One day Videl became terribly ill. Dr. Briefs had already said that she was going to die. Gohan could not believe that nothing could help her. Everyday Gohan sat by his wife's bedside, only to await her impending death. Pan also would sit with her father to offer him some comfort as he watched his only love fade away in the night.

Finally the day that Gohan dreaded had arrived. Videl passed away quietly in her sleep. When Pan came in to her parent's room, she found her father holding the lifeless body of her mother in his arms. She had never seen her dad cry until now. Tears quietly fell from his face as he held Videl close to his heart. Pan decided to leave her father alone until he was finished saying goodbye to her mother.

She decided to go downstairs. As she reached the bottom, the phone rang. She hurried over to answer it.

"Hi Grandpa Goku." Pan said. He must have asked her how her mother was dong because she told him everything about this morning.

"I'm afraid that mom died in her sleep last night. Dad is just beside himself with grief. He just sits there and holds mom in his arms. I don't think that he is ready to let her go yet." Pan stated. There was a long pause on the other end.

"Pan, your grandmother and I are coming right over." Goku told her.

"Thanks grandpa. You're the best." Pan said as she hung up the phone. Pan then went and sat in the living room to await her grandparent's arrival. Finally after a long while, her father came slowly down the stairs. Pan saw the hurt in her father's eyes. 

"Dad, are you alright?" Pan asked him. Gohan never answered. Pan became upset with her father. 

"Mom is gone! There is nothing that you can do to bring her back. You just have to accept the fact that she's dead and be done with it!" Pan yelled. Gohan became enraged.

"Don't you EVER tell me about your mother and what is best for her. You have no idea what is good for her and you never will. There were never any problems with your mother and I until you came along. So why don't you just shut up and leave me alone, or better yet why don't you get the HELL out of my life forever!!" Gohan roared. 

Pan took a few steps backwards, shocked at what her father had just said. The tears began to form in her eyes. She quickly ran out of the house and flew as far away from the house as she could. Gohan stood by the door as he watched Pan's figure get smaller. Realizing what he had just said to her, he broke down and began to cry. 

When Goku and Chi-Chi arrived, they found Gohan sitting in the doorway of the house. Chi-Chi ran to him and gave him a big hug.

"Oh Gohan, I'm so sorry about Videl." Chi-Chi said as she hugged him. Meanwhile Goku went in the house and found no sign of Pan.

"Gohan, where's Pan?" Goku asked him.

"Dad, we got into a fight. I told her that I never wanted to see her again." Gohan stated as he started to cry once again.

" Goku, you have to find her." Chi-Chi told Goku.

"Gohan did you see which direction she flew off in?" Goku asked his son.

"No dad, I didn't." Gohan stated. Goku knew that he had to find her fast. There was no telling what Pan would try to do to herself. He knew that her father's love was the one thing that truly mattered to her. If she knew that her father no longer loved her, there was no telling what she would do to herself. He immediately began the search for her. Chi-Chi stayed behind to comfort her son. Chi-Chi prayed silently that Goku would find her unharmed. 


	2. A Regretful Feeling

Author's Note: Here is the second installment of The Day the Earth Stood Still

A Regretful Feeling

Goku continued looking for his granddaughter. As he continued his search, it suddenly grew very cold. He knew he had to find Pan quickly. Back at the house, Chi-Chi watched as Gohan paced back and forth.

" I can't believe I told her that." Gohan said.

"Oh Gohan, you were upset." Chi-Chi stated.

"Yes mom, but I never should have said what I did to her!" Gohan exclaimed. He closed his eyes and prayed that Pan would be all right. 

Goku continued looking for Pan. All of a sudden he spotted her. Pan was huddled in a corner trying to keep warm. Goku descended down to where she was. 

"Pan." Goku called to her. She turned and saw her grandpa coming towards her.

"Oh grandpa, I knew you'd come for me." Pan said. She gave her grandpa a weak smile, before she collapsed to the ground. Goku ran to Pan's side. He gently lifted her into his arms.

"Pan speak to me!" Goku cried frantically. He knew that he had to get her home as quickly as possible. 

"Hold on Pan." Goku said as he took to the air and headed back home.

Meanwhile Gohan could not stop pacing. He was so worried about Pan. He knew that as soon as she returned home, he would apologize for the things he said. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Chi-Chi raced to answer it. When she opened the door, she saw Goku holding her unconscious granddaughter in his arms.

"Goku, what's wrong with Pan?" Chi-Chi asked. Before Goku could reply, Gohan stepped in and saw Pan lying almost lifeless in his father's arms. Chi-Chi and Goku watched as their son's face turned very grim.

"Dad is Pan ok?" Gohan questioned as he walked over to his father.

" I'm not sure Gohan. She was so weak when I found her." Goku replied. Gohan took one of his hands and gently stroked his daughter's cold face. 

"Dad, what have I done to her?" Gohan asked. Goku and Chi-Chi were speechless. They weren't sure what to tell their son.


	3. Hard to Let Go

Author's Note: This is the third and final estallment.

Gohan watched as his mother tucked Pan into bed. He simply couldn't believe that Pan might not make it. He had lost Videl already. He was not about to lose his only daughter. Chi-Chi finished tucking Pan into bed. She turned to her son who was looking on with the greatest concern. Chi-Chi walked over to her son.

" I've done everything that I can for her." Chi-Chi said a she placed her hand on his shoulder. Gohan responded by taking hold of his mother's hand. 

Thanks mom." Gohan stated. Chi-Chi let go of her son's hand and walked out of the room. She closed the door behind her. Goku was standing outside his granddaughter's room waiting for some news. When he saw Chi-Chi, he raced over to her.

"Goku, it doesn't look good. Pan is so weak that I don't believe she has any fight left in her at all." Chi-Chi said sadly. Goku enveloped his wife in a big hug. 

"We can only hope for the best Chi-Chi." Goku told her. 

Meanwhile Gohan approached Pan's bedside. He looked at his little girl who simply lay there like a beanbag that was not full of beans. As he gazed at her the tears began welling up inside. He sat quietly on the bed so as not to disturb her. Gohan stroked the matted hair that had collected in Pan's face. She felt so warm to his touch. 

"Pan you're going to be alright, you are. I'm not losing you like I lost your mother. I simply couldn't go on living if you died." Gohan said holding back tears. He took Pan's body in his arms and simply held on to her for dear life. As he held her, the tars quietly ran down his face. Goku and Chi-Chi watched from outside Pan's room.

"Goku she just has to be ok." Chi-Chi told him.

"She will be Chich." Goku told her. They watched as Gohan laid Pan back on the bed and covered her up again. He very gently got off the bed and turned to leave. Before he made it out of the room, a little voice called out to him.

"Daddy, please…please don't go." Pan called weakly. She barely had enough strength to utter those few words. Gohan looked back over his shoulder and saw that Pan was awake. He walked back to her beside and sat back down on her bed. 

"Hey, how are you kid?" Gohan asked.

"I'm tired daddy, so tired. I just want to sleep." Pan mumbled.

"Pan you are going to get better you know." Gohan said holding back tears.

"No daddy, I'm not ever going to get better. I saw mommy in my dreams. She told me that I would be with her soon." Pan stated weakly.

"NO!" Gohan exclaimed. Pan saw the tears in her father's eyes. Soon tears of her own began forming in her eyes. She could not bear the sight of her father crying. She took her hand and reached up to touch her father's face.

"Daddy, please do not cry for me. I will be going to a better place and besides that I get to see mommy. You should be happy for me considering that I will be out of your life. That is what you wanted isn't daddy?" Pan asked. Those words hit Gohan like several knives driving themselves into his body. Tears flowed from his eyes as he pulled Pan into his embrace.

"Pan I am so sorry that I ever uttered those cold words to you. I was angry with myself because I could not stop your mother from leaving me. I had no right to blame you. Pan please…" Gohan began.

"Daddy I forgive you. You do not have to apologize for what you said. I know you were angry." Pan said with tears flowing from her eyes. She wrapped her frail arms around her father and cried into his chest.

"I love you daddy. I love you so much." Pan said between sobs. Gohan finally unable to hold back his tears anymore, held on to his daughter and sobbed along with her.

"I love you too, Pan." Gohan replied. Goku and Chi-Chi continued to watch from outside the bedroom. 

"See I told you that everything was going to be alright Chich." Goku said holding on to her. 

Back in Pan's room, Gohan continued holding Pan in his arms. Suddenly he felt that awful feeling that he did when Videl died. He felt Pan's arms fall from his back and heard them hit the bed with a thud. Pan's body suddenly felt heavier in his arms. 

"Pan." Gohan called although he knew it was hopeless. There was nothing but silence. Gohan tried to sense Pan's life force, but it had completely vanished. Goku let go of Chi-Chi and walked back into Pan's room. He had felt the same pain that Gohan felt before.

"Goku, what's wrong? Chi-Chi questioned as she watched him enter Pan's room. She looked and saw Pan lying lifeless in Gohan's arms. 

"Goku is she… is she…?" Chi-Chi asked Goku.

"Yes I'm afraid so." Goku replied solemnly. Chi-Chi covered her face with her hands as she began to cry. Goku pulled her back into his arms again. Gohan heard from his father the words that he didn't wish to hear. He laid Pan back on her bed. She looked so peaceful. There was small smile on her lips, which told Gohan that she was with Videl now. Gohan turned and looked at his parents who was looking at him. He got off the bed and walked over to them. Just be fore he made to them, he collapsed to the floor grief-stricken. Tears poured from his eyes as he beat his fists into the carpet. Chi-Chi knelt by her son and took him into her arms. Gohan could only hold her and cry. His baby was gone and again he could do nothing to stop it from happening. 

The next day, the whole family gathered to lay Pan to rest. Everyone had turned out for Pan's funeral. After Goku finished his eulogy, it was time for everyone to say their final good-byes. When it was time for Gohan to say goodbye, he knelt by his daughter's tiny coffin. He placed a kiss on the coffin and touched it one final time.

I love you Pan. I will always love you." Gohan said as a tear quietly slipped from his eye. He watched as her coffin was lowered into the ground. He picked up a tiny clump of dirt and threw it in. He stood back and watched as his daughter was finished being buried. 

Later that day, Gohan returned to the cemetery to visit Pan and Videl. He knelt by both of their graves. 

"You both will always be a very special part of me. For the day you both died, the earth stood still a thousand times." I will miss you both, but we will be together again one day." Gohan kissed his fingertips and placed them on Videl and Pan's tombstones. " I love you both always." Gohan stood up and looked at their graves once more before he turned and left. Unknown to Gohan, Videl and Pan had been there the whole time. They watched as Gohan slowly walked home. 

"You'll be with us soon dad. I promise you that." Pan said as she watched her father disappear from view.


End file.
